


Back to Aberdeen

by SunSweet



Category: The Walking Dead RPF
Genre: F/M, McReedus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-03 23:15:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14006976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunSweet/pseuds/SunSweet
Summary: Short fic inspired by McReedus’ recent time in Scotland together.I hate summaries, so here’s an excerpt from Chapter 1...Does she miss me? He wondered.  Does her heart ache like mine does?  Does she feel like there is darkness surrounding her, threatening to close in and take her under?  Is she terrified we will never have anything so special ever again?  There had been moments since they parted that Norman felt like he couldn’t breathe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I thought I was finished writing McReedus since my muse up and left me, but I've been inspired . This is a one shot, really, but I'll post it in two chapters instead. I hope everyone enjoyed seeing Melissa and Norman spending time together and looking so happy as much as I did. It's been too long.

Norman glanced over at his con manager Sean and gave him a nod. He needed a break so Sean cut the line and held the next group of fans from approaching. One more to get through and he could head outside for a smoke, but more importantly to try to clear his mind. Of course the photo that was thrust at him was one of them - him and Melissa. It wasn’t Caryl like the countless others he’d already signed - it was actually him and Mel. 

He picked it up and stared. He’d seen the photo on Instagram and it made his heart ache. It affected him in ways that he couldn’t explain. It was a work of art, one of those photos that capture a moment in time so perfectly. It was a once in a lifetime kind of picture for a photographer - the irony being, it was actually just a quick candid shot that a fan had snapped on their cell phone. Norman wished he’d taken it. He was overcome with envy that someone else got to take credit for this thing of beauty. He knew he couldn’t have taken it anyway since he was in it, and had it been someone else in the photo with Melissa it wouldn’t have affected him like it did, but still the envy remained. 

“I hope you don’t mind signing this one,” the young fan said shyly. “I know it’s totally a creeper pic, but it’s so gorgeous,” she sighed. Norman knew that look. It was the heart eyes of someone who fantasized about him and Mel being in love. 

“Of course I don’t mind,” Norman said honestly. “What’s your name sweetheart?” 

“Greta,” she said, her voice shaky. Norman reached out and took her hand in his while he signed the picture. He wrote: To Greta, love this pic. Followed by a heart and his signature. “Thank you so much,” she gushed, with tears in her pretty blue eyes. Blue eyes that reminded him of someone. The same someone he couldn’t stop thinking about. 

“C’mere,” Norman said, pulling her in for a quick hug. When he released her she had tears rolling down her cheeks so he hugged her a second time. Finally she left and with a wave to the crowd that would still be waiting when he returned Norman ducked back through the curtains and headed for the back door where he could have a smoke. 

He pulled out his phone on the way, ignored the 4 texts from Diane and went straight to the one he’d received from Melissa. She was on her way to the airport and she would text him when she finally got back home to Atlanta. It felt like he’d just taken a gunshot to his heart and Norman actually stumbled slightly. The security guard steadied him. “You okay Mr. Reedus?” 

“Yeah, yeah… I’m good,” he mumbled. He couldn’t stop thinking about the 5 days he’d spent in Scotland with Mel. They’d been together over a week technically, since they’d both been at Walker Stalker London first, but it was different because so many of their cast mates and friends were there too. They were hard pressed to find a moment to themselves that weekend, but Monday had brought something completely different. It was the most incredible 5 days he’d had in years. 

Norman and Melissa had known each other for a decade and this was the first time they’d spent so much time together without other close friends around them. They spent lots of time together at work, but this was different. It was work too, they were filming an episode of Ride, but once the cameras were off and the crew fucked off to enjoy themselves it was just him and Mel in one of the most beautiful countries on earth. 

When they planned the latest season of Ride and decided the guests would all be Walking Dead cast members, Norman knew it was going to be a challenge to get Melissa to agree. But he totally lucked out one day when he overheard her saying that she had always wanted to visit Scotland, where her ancestors were from. She’d looked into her family tree and had a special fondness for a city called Aberdeen where the earliest ancestors she could trace had come from. 

When Norman proposed the idea of her being on Ride it was a hard no immediately. But when he mentioned Scotland she’d punched him. “You know how badly I want to go there… this isn’t fair,” she whined. It only took another day or two to convince her and he really didn’t have to work that hard. He even let her pick the places she wanted to see in Edinburgh and anywhere along the way to Aberdeen. 

When he figured out dates and she found out it was right after Walker Stalker London she finally gave in and agreed to attend the con as well, making James extremely happy. The entire trip to that point had been incredible, filming in England with Jeffrey and Andy first, the con in London, then Monday when his adventure with Mel had begun. 

Diane he been with him in London, but he’d been so busy and she’d been working as well so he’d barely seen her. She left for her mom’s place in Germany the same morning he’d boarded a plane with Melissa to head to Edinburgh. He felt like a jerk but he hadn’t missed her, not one bit. 

Melissa was so special. She was captivating and brilliant - everything good about the world in one perfect little package. His heart felt like it was being shredded into tiny pieces thinking about her. He’d let them drift apart lately. It was his fault. It was his own damn fault. He’d been so lucky to have that time with her this week, but now he wanted more. It was unbearable to think about her going home while he stayed in Europe longer. And even after he went back to the States - when would he see her again? They said they would make plans before they parted, but they hadn’t. Norman was terrified everything would just go back to the way it had been and he wouldn’t see her again until filming started. That’s on you man, he informed himself. 

He stepped outside and asked the guard to give him a minute alone. Norman quickly lit up a cigarette and sucked in a long drag. “I thought you were quitting.” He heard Mel’s teasing tone in his mind. She didn’t care that he smoked, sometimes she even took a drag herself. But she did enjoy messing with him because he said every other day he was going to quit, yet hadn’t ever actually put forth an effort. 

Norman drifted back to the day before. They had a bit of filming in the morning at a pub, the same pub the photo he’d just signed had been taken in. It only took a couple of hours and the crew headed back towards Edinburgh to capture a few more shots for the edit. His flight didn’t leave until around suppertime, which meant they had several hours to spend together, just the two of them - no work, no interruptions. 

It was magical. They’d spent every evening together, but this was different. The crew wasn’t partying in the room next door. They didn’t have to get up early. They weren’t exhausted from a long day of filming out in the cold. They finally had some time to just chill - to just be Norman and Melissa. 

This Norman and Melissa was different though. Before they had always been really physical. They fucked - a lot. They kissed and touched and were full on making out pretty much the second they were alone. But that was before - before the world found out that him and Diane were a couple. Since then Melissa wouldn’t let him fuck her anymore. She put distance between them when they were alone and he was pretty sure she minimized the chances of them actually being alone too. 

Norman had made it clear to Diane from the start that he would never be monogamous. She was perfectly fine with an open relationship and he knew she’d been with other men since they’d hooked up. But he realized quickly that even though Diane was fine with the workings of an open relationship she wasn’t okay with the public knowing the truth. There had been a couple posts on a celebrity gossip blog lately that had her enraged. One was about him spotted kissing some chick a couple months ago and the other involved him being with Melissa in Scotland. The gossip was mostly true, except the suggestion he’d been fooling around with Melissa. That hadn’t happened, as much as he’d hoped it would when he knew the two of them would be taking this trip together. 

Mel was a lot more liberal with him the last few days than she had been in a long time. She let him sit close. She let him touch her. They’d hugged and even cuddled up in bed to watch television together. It was extremely intimate in a way that was very different from sex. Norman knew she was having as much fun being around him again as he was being around her. 

Does she miss me? He wondered. Does her heart ache like mine does? Does she feel like there is darkness surrounding her, threatening to close in and take her under? Is she terrified we will never have anything so special ever again? There had been moments since they parted that Norman felt like he couldn’t breathe. He’d tried to be excited about seeing Diane again, but nothing could pull him from the blackness. He found himself making excuses to not have to spend time with Diane the night before. She really hadn’t done anything wrong, but he was irrationally blaming her for him being away from Melissa. 

Diane likely assumed he’d been fucking Mel all week and he didn’t correct her. He didn’t correct her because fucking Melissa would have been way less painful to Diane than what had actually happened. He’d been reminded of how much he loved Mel. They’d reconnected on a deeper level than ever before. And it hadn’t even involved sex at all. Not even close. 

There wasn’t a woman in the world who could make him feel anywhere close to the way Melissa made him feel. She owned his soul and she always would. She wasn’t his best friend, that title went to Andy and Jeffrey. He would never call her bestie because she was so much more than that. But did she know? Not likely. Maybe she felt it, he wasn’t sure. But she needed to know how important she was to him. Norman felt his heart speed up with excitement as an idea came to him. 

He dropped the smoke and crushed it out and then looked at his phone. Fuck - she had definitely left Aberdeen. But was there a chance she was still in Europe? He sent her a quick text asking where she was. When she didn’t reply right away Norman dialed her number. He was running out of time and really needed to get back to his table, but there was no way he was going to survive the weekend if she was across the ocean. 

It rang three times and his heart was about to stop completely when she finally picked up. “Norman? What’s wrong? Aren’t you at the con?” Relief hit him so hard he gasped. 

“Where are you?” he asked quickly. 

“Amsterdam, waiting for my connecting flight home,” Melissa responded. “Seriously, what’s going on?” 

Norman felt the world start to spin. “Don’t get on the flight home, please.” 

“What? Why not?”

Norman’s mind was racing. What could he possibly say to convince her to stay? To wait for him somewhere thousands of miles from home? “Switch flights. Go to…” He thought hard. There were so many places he could ask her to wait. Romantic places like Paris or Rome. But there was only one place he wanted to be to tell her everything on his mind. “Go back to Aberdeen Mel. Take a flight back and wait for me there. I’ll come to you tomorrow night as soon as I can get out of here.” 

“Norman, this is crazy.” Her voice had a wobble to it. He heard uncertainty. “Is the crew coming back? Do we need to film more?” 

He was struck with a moral dilemma. He could say yes. She would come back to finish the episode. But he couldn’t lie to her - it wouldn’t mean the same if she went back for the wrong reasons. “No, we got everything.” 

“Oh.” Her voice was soft. “Then what’s going on? Why would I go back there?” 

Norman inhaled and then slowly let out the air from his lungs. He took in another breath and then spoke, “I need you to trust me, please. I’m begging you to trust me…” His voice trailed off and then he found the courage to ask, “Will you do it? Will you go back to Aberdeen and wait for me?” Norman’s entire body was quivering with anxiety as he closed his eyes and waited for her decision.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a beautiful private little B&B they had come across during their exploration of Aberdeen. It was just outside of town and Melissa knew it would be the perfect place to stay. The only problem was that she didn’t know how long to book the rooms for. She paid the host for the entire place, 5 bedrooms, for 4 days, and asked for their discretion. She gave the excuse that Norman would be joining her the next evening to discuss the episode they had filmed and decide if they needed to add to it.

The owners didn’t actually live at the B&B so they made arrangements for her meal times and then left a number where she could reach them if there were any problems. Once they left Saturday evening Melissa had the whole place to herself.

It was both good and bad because it was really nice to have her own space, but it left her a lot of time to think about what had happened earlier that day. When Norman had called she was less than 15 minutes from boarding the plane to Atlanta. A few more minutes and he wouldn’t have got ahold of her at all. Melissa was a big believer that things happened for a reason, so she couldn’t help but believe that him catching her just in time meant something - but what?

Worst of all she still had no idea at all why he’d asked her to go back to Aberdeen. He had asked her to trust him and he was really asking a lot for her to completely change her travel plans and fly back to the place she’d just left. He knew he was asking a lot and that’s one of the reasons she had easily agreed. She had known Norman for a very long time and there was a desperation in his voice that was very strange and rare for him - that sealed the deal, she couldn’t say no.

The change in his tone the moment she said yes made her heart swell. He was like a child sometimes with his emotions, especially when he was happy and excited. Mel picked a room and put her things in it, then started to explore the rest of the old home. It had a rustic feel that she adored and the decor was exquisite. She took a few pictures on her phone of ideas to try at her home.

Melissa made a coffee in the kitchen and then took the mug to the cozy living room to drink by the fireplace. She thought about her time in Scotland the past week with Norman and a wistful smile appeared on her face. She’d had the time of her life, even though she was way out of her comfort zone. When she’d flown out of Aberdeen airport that afternoon she’d almost started crying on the plane. It was a trip and an experience she would treasure for the rest of her life.

She adored the country and the people, the sights and places they had visited, but it was even better because she was with Norman. It had been so long since the two of them had spent more than a couple hours together. It had been so long that she forgot how badly she missed him. Now that the trip was over - well, supposed to be over, she knew that Norman had a piece of her heart and always would, for eternity.

The time they had shared that week was so special to her. She would be lying if she said she didn’t miss the sex, because she most certainly did, but they hadn’t been physical at all and it had been the best times they had ever shared. She wondered if it could have been even better if they’d actually been in a position where they could still be having sex, but she decided that nothing, not even sex, could have made the trip better than it was.

Melissa had really had to force some physical distance between them the past several months. It was hard to be around him because she knew she still longed to be with him and would easily give in if he pushed even a little. Melissa also knew that Norman had a strange relationship with Diane, in that they were both free to sleep with whoever they wanted. Even though she knew it was fairly common, particularly with celebs, it was hard to wrap her mind around which was why she wanted no part of it.

Whether it was okay or not, it still felt like cheating to have sex with a man who was emotionally attached to someone else. Melissa had to admit though, part way through the week she started to wonder just how emotionally attached they actually were. It was none of her business though so she didn’t bring up his girlfriend and neither did he - not even once.

The day before had been like a dream to her. Just her and Norman, alone for several hours, talking, joking, laughing, touching - and not once did it turn sexual. It was intimate though and reminded her of the connection they had. There was a bond between them that nothing could break. They’d been through so much and they had always sought each other out in times of need. She would drop anything if he needed her and Melissa knew he would do the same for her.

Eventually she went to her room and got into bed to sleep. She was exhausted and almost slept past the breakfast time she’d set. The day went slowly, so slowly, because she spent every second anticipating Norman’s arrival. When she finally got the text that he’d landed in Aberdeen and was on his way she started to get extremely nervous. She didn’t like surprises. She liked to know what was going on so she could plan accordingly.

It was really late but she stayed up and waited. When she knew he would be close she brewed a pot of coffee and sat at the kitchen table. Finally she heard the front door open and knew he was there. “Mel?” he called out.

“In here,” she replied, wringing her hands nervously. She could see the exhaustion on his face when he walked into the room, but it was quickly taken over with pure joy when his eyes locked on hers. “Norman,” she whispered. It wasn’t really a greeting, just a desperate need to say his name, though she didn’t know why.

“I’m so glad you picked this place,” he commented, shrugging off his leather jacket. “It feels right.”

“Right for what?” she asked quickly. “Why are we here?”

He bent to kiss her cheek and then took the chair across the table from her. Mel felt a strange feeling, like he was too far away and she wished he was closer. “Before I start I need you to know that I told Diane I need some space to sort through some things. She’s staying in Germany for a couple of weeks and then heading back to her place in New York. I have another Ride episode to film next week, but after that… I think I’d like to spend some time in Georgia.”

Melissa stared at him in shock. Why did it matter that he’d split with Diane before he told her why he was there? Why had he decided to ask for some space in the first place? What thing did he need to sort through? “I… don’t understand,” she said, feeling a bit lightheaded both from the news and from it being so late at night.

Norman sighed, “I don’t even know where to start. I planned it all out on the plane and I fucking nailed it… now I can’t even figure out what to say first.” Melissa reached out and took his hand.

She knew it calmed her when he touched her so she hoped it would work for him too. She looked down at his hand and gasped, “you got a new tattoo.”

He nodded and gave her a hint of a smile. “It’s yours… it’s that the little doodle you did on the napkin at the pub.” Melissa had just been fooling around and she drew a version of his Big Bald Head logo. It looked almost identical to the simple skull design. “I kept it,” he added softly.

“You did?” Sometimes his sentimentality shocked her. “Why?”

“You could have drawn anything while you were sitting there but for some reason you drew that and it stuck with me. I put it in my hoodie pocket before we left and I found it last night,” he explained. “Jeff got a matching one,” he admitted with a chuckle. “So your work is permanently on his skin too.”

“You guys are too much,” she said, shaking her head. She did adore their friendship though. Jeffrey would go to bat for Norman any time and she loved that about him. Mel rubbed her thumb lightly over the raised skin of the fresh tattoo and smiled. “So you were saying?”

“Right…” he mumbled. She squeezed his hand for encouragement. “I was in a dark, dark place the moment I left you on Friday,” Norman began. “I’ve never felt so lost and so sad. I couldn’t focus on anything, I felt like I could have a panic attack at any second, it was hard to even breathe. All I wanted…” he paused and looked at her. “I just wanted to be with you again.” Melissa was speechless. “In all the times we have parted before it’s never been like that. I’m always really sad when I leave after filming, but this was different - it consumed me and I felt terrified.”

“Of what?” she asked, finally finding her voice.

“Of losing you… of losing what we have… of never having a chance to spend time with you like that again,” he said, fidgeting with her hand. His words struck her deeply because she’d felt so many of the same things he was expressing. She didn’t dwell on those feelings though because she’d become very accustomed to Norman sweeping in like a tornado, making a mess of her world and then running away as quickly as he’d come. Melissa had found ways to deal with those feeling so instead of seeing it as him wrecking things, she saw it as something beautiful. She had learned to appreciate the time they had instead of dwelling on what could have been.

“I had no idea how much I missed you, how much I missed us, until this trip,” Norman admitted. Normally she would have assumed he was referring to the sex, but Mel got the sense that wasn’t the case at all. “I didn’t tell Diane that we didn’t have sex. I know she assumes we did, but I didn’t correct her,” he continued.

“Why would you let her think something that’s not true?” Melissa asked in confusion.

He drew in a breath. “Because I’m a coward and I couldn’t tell her what really happened.”

Melissa felt her heart start to beat wildly. “What - uh, what really happened?”

“I fell in love with you all over again,” Norman said, his voice calm, never wavering. “She would have been okay with you and I having sex. But this… the way I feel - it’s real betrayal.” Melissa felt her hands start to shake. “Hey, what’s wrong? Shit, I didn’t give you any warning that was coming… Mel? Mel? Are you okay?”

Melissa knew he was saying her name and she knew he was concerned but she couldn’t find the words to let him know she was alright - or she would be eventually. She blinked twice, the second one helped a tear out to roll down her cheek. “You’ve betrayed your girlfriend,” she whispered. “With me.” Norman was studying her, but he didn’t interrupt. He knew her too well. He knew she needed to get her thoughts out and sometimes that came with some very long pauses in between. “We didn’t even… I was so focussed on making sure we didn’t sleep together - and you’re telling me what we did was even worse?”

Norman’s voice was so tender when he spoke, “You didn’t do anything wrong McBride.” He held both of her hands inside of his. “It’s on me. All of this, every little bit - it’s on me.”

“But I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Mel said as another tear trickled down her cheek. It bothered her that her own happiness could make another person miserable.

“You didn’t hurt anyone. It’s not your fault,” he insisted. “The only thing you did was make me the happiest man in the world for the last few days. I can’t stop thinking about how it felt - Dammit Mel, it feel so good to love you.”

“But you’ve loved me for years, I love you too,” she breathed. “Shit Norman - I love you.” It was like a switch had flipped and she could see everything so clearly. There had always been something in the way - sometimes it was another woman, sometimes it was work or circumstance, sometimes it was those feelings of lust that consumed them both - but with all those things moved to the side she could finally let herself feel it. “What happens now?” she whispered, filled with both excitement and anxiety.

Norman shrugged, “Maybe we should quit trying to plan every step and just be us for once?” She nodded slowly, she liked the way that sounded even if it was normally in her nature to plan everything so she could prepare herself ahead. The idea of just letting herself enjoy the surprise that each moment brought was a bit scary, but also very intriguing. “And, I never thought I would say this, but I think we should try to take things slow, ya know like the sex part?” He looked very uncertain and worried about her reaction. “I mean, uh, we don’t have to,” he started to backpedal. “I just thought it would be nice to come at it from a different direction this time, that’s all. But you know I’ll fuck you anytime you want me to.”

He was rambling and it was so cute she considered letting him continue some more, but finally she put him out of his misery. “I agree with you,” she nodded. “But we’re not planning things anymore, remember?” Melissa tilted her head and smiled at him. “Let’s just let things happen naturally, okay?” Norman bobbed his head. “But…” she added sternly. “The sex can wait - until you get all your shit sorted out at least.” Melissa didn’t want him to put off sorting things out with Diane and she figured taking sex completely off the table until that was finished would encourage him to get it over with quickly.

“That’s fair,” he agreed. “But can I at least kiss you? I’ve been dying to all week.”

“Get over here,” she said, reaching for the front of his hoodie to pull him close. Their lips met and that old familiar electricity was still there, but for the first time ever she felt like she had control over it. Love had finally won out over lust and it made her want to be absolutely sure to do things right. It felt amazing to kiss him, but it also felt okay when their lips finally parted and they just hugged for a long time.

“I’m so fucking tired,” Norman sighed softly.

“Come on,” Melissa said. “I’ll show you to your room.” They stood and she took his hand. She passed the 4 other rooms and led him to her bed. “I want to sleep in your arms tonight,” she said. Norman smiled at her and stripped to his underwear. She took off her own clothes down to her panties and a camisole, then climbed into bed.

Norman laid his head on her chest and reached and arm over her. She kissed his forehead and then started to stroke his hair. “I love you my Melly Mel,” he mumbled softly.

“Ha,” she chuckled. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that, but I love you too Normy Norm.” He was asleep seconds after she finished speaking. Melissa was really tired, but she stayed up a little longer just watching him sleep. They had turned a corner in their relationship and she was really excited to explore this new plath with him. It wouldn’t be easy, she knew that, but she was ready and willing to work at it. She sighed and closed her eyes with a smile on her lips. Could they just stay in Scotland forever? No, they couldn’t, but Melissa planned to make sure they visited any chance they got. It was a magical time, in a magical place and she would be forever grateful she agreed to go to Aberdeen with him - and even more grateful she came back to Aberdeen.

_“Well, it seems to me that the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is... suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.” - Dana Scully, The X-Files_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


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